Conventional vehicular assembly plants have employed programmable automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for moving parts and equipment. Conventional AGVs are versatile and capable, but they are complex and expensive for predetermined tasks and predetermined point-to-point movements.
Automated or automatic guided carts (AGCs) have been employed in facilities where less complex, low precision tasks, such as pushing and pulling loads on a semi-predefined and permanent path to a general area, is established. In these configurations and applications, AGCs have offered a less expensive, but limited use for applications requiring low precision positional location of the cargo or components being transported. The conventional non-precise locating capabilities rendered use of AGCs unsuitable for many applications where the robots which interact with the parts were programmed for precise operations requiring components and subassemblies to be positioned with a high level of precision.
It would be advantageous to configure and employ lower cost AGC's to perform precision movements in methods and processes, for example movement of assembly fixtures, tooling and/or components along a precision vehicle subassembly and main assembly lines, to increase efficiency and lower vehicle assembly costs in a high production facility.